By Innocent Anaba

lagos—A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, yesterday, ordered the final forfeiture to the Federal Government  $43,449,947, £27,800 and N23,218,000 recovered from No. 16, Osborne Road, Flat 7B Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos.

The funds had been stashed in cabinets and “Ghana-must-go” bags in the apartment before they were discovered and recovered on April 11, 2017 operatives by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, following a tip-off.

Judicial symbol for justice

Ruling on the application, yesterday, the trial judge Justice Muslim Hassan held, “I am in complete agreement with the submission of the learned counsel for the applicant (EFCC) that the property sought to be attached are reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities and that by every standard this huge sum of money is not expected to be kept without going through a designated financial institution; more so, nobody has shown cause why the said sum should not be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria. Having regard to the foregoing, I have no other option but to grant this application as prayed.

“For the avoidance of any doubt, I hereby make the following orders: 1. A final order is made forfeiting the sums of  $43,449,947 found by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission at Flat 7B of No. 16 Osborne Road, Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos, which sum is reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities to the Federal Government of Nigeria.”

The judge made the same order in respect of the £27,800 and N23,218,000.